Ergonomics

• Proper posture is essential for maintaining good ergonomics and preventing musculoskeletal disorders.
• The term ergonomics originally comes from the Greek words ergon (work or labor) and nomos (natural laws).
• The term ergonomics was coined by a Polish scholar, Wojciech Jastrzębowski, in 1857.
• Look for opportunities to rotate between tasks that are less intense and more intense.
• Work areas may have tasks of differing intensities, such as using #12 wire which requires more force exertion rather than using #14 wire which is easier to bend.
• The year 1857 falls in the fourth year of the Ansei period in Japan, which was the time just after the arrival of Perry and his black ships.
• The relationship between working conditions and pathology was first systematized from an occupational health perspective in a classic by Bernardino Ramazzini (1633-1714), an Italian physician.
• In De morbis artificum diatriba, a book by Bernardino Ramazzini, respiratory disorders such as asthma and tuberculosis caused by fine particles and effects of awkward working postures on workers’ bodies were referred to as diseases observed among metal mining workers.
• The age of industrialization, promoted by the Industrial Revolution that started in the 18th century, demanded clarification of the relationship between labor and health.
• The development of preventive measures based on an ergonomic perspective and ergonomic methods and approaches, such as the measurement of occupational fatigue and the establishment of principles in scientific management of labor, had to wait until the beginning of the 20th century.
• Ergonomics is the study of human abilities and characteristics which affect the design of equipment, systems, and jobs.
• The terms ergonomics and human factors can be used interchangeably.
• The latest formal definition of Ergonomics is: "Ergonomics (or human factors) is the scientific discipline concerned with the understanding of the interactions among human and other elements of a system, and the profession that applies theory, principles, data and methods to design in order to optimize human well-being and overall system performance.
• The International Ergonomics Association (IEA) was founded in 1959, organizing ergonomics-related societies or associations formed in different countries/areas around the world.
• The name ergonomics officially proposed at a 1949 meeting of the British Admiralty (July 12), by Prof Hugh Murrell, was accepted in 1950.
• The IEA’s international conference is held every three years, and was hosted mainly by European cities such as Stockholm, Dortmund, Birmingham, and Strasburg in the past.
• In 1996, the IEA and the ILO jointly launched ―Ergonomics Checkpoints ǁ with easy-to-understand illustrations for the improvement of workplaces and working conditions.
• The first edition of a masterpiece by Grandjean, ―Fitting the Task to the Man, ǁ was published in 1963.
• Organizational ergonomics examine ways to optimize entire workplaces, finding ways to optimize teamwork, improve communications, increase output and bolster the overall quality of a product.
• Cognitive ergonomics deal with the mind’s ability to process information and interact with data, finding ways to help people retain data.
• Some members of the JES have even served as its chairperson or board members.
• Engineers who work in cognitive ergonomics place a great deal of emphasis on both the design and visibility of safety signs in workplaces, as both factors tie directly into data retention.
• In the US, several ergonomically renowned textbooks written by scientists such as Woodson, McCormick, and Sanders have been published since the 1950s.
• The Japan Ergonomics Society (JES) has actively participated in IEA activities and contributed to them in the field of human resources and funding as well.
• Dysfunctional workplaces with high rates of job dissatisfaction often provide biomedical engineers with rich playgrounds in which to work their magic.
• Biomedical engineers also study the tools used by people who work in more physically demanding professions, such as construction and manufacturing.
• Housekeeping is crucial in maintaining a safe and tidy workplace, reducing the risk of tripping over cords and debris, extending the life of tools and equipment, and increasing productivity.
• Task Rotation can be an effective means of limiting the amount of time employees are exposed to stressors, this will often reduce the chance of injury, because the risk of injury is proportional to the amount of time one is exposed to a stressor.
• Planning should be done with ergonomics in mind, determining routes between staging areas and work spaces, scheduling for members of other trades, and knowing what services and utilities will be provided.
• The name Ergonomics was derived from the Greek words: Ergon - work; Nomos - natural law.
• Pushing is generally preferable to pulling, as it allows the employee to use large muscle groups and apply more force to the load, while pulling carries a greater risk of strain and injury.
• Rotation of assignments should never be used before significant attempts to eliminate the stressors have been investigated, the job should always be modified to expose the employee to the least amount of stress possible.
• Rotation of employees between tasks that affect different parts of the body allows employees to have periods of rest and recuperation while still remaining on the job.
• Lifting properly is important, and a different approach may be needed for each load to be lifted.
• The power zone for lifting is close to the body, between mid-thigh and mid-chest height, comparable to the strike zone in baseball, where arms and back can lift the most with the least amount of effort.
• Proper handholds make lifting easier and reduce the risk of injury, should be made large enough to accommodate larger hands and should not dig into fingers and palms.
• Staging is an important step in any electrical project, proper staging includes placing materials as close as possible to work spaces, and storing materials at ideal heights so employees can utilize the power zone to take materials from storage.
• Analysis of the job is essential, because moving an employee between tasks that affect the same part of the body does not provide any periods of rest.
• Rotate to jobs that affect different parts of the body or have different intensities, many tasks primarily affect different parts of the body.
• The first use of the word ergonomics can be traced to a series of four articles written by Prof Wojciech Jastrzebowski in Poland in 1857.